In and out terminal cleaning tool



June 4, 1935- 1. E. COFFEY IN AND OUT TERMINAL CLEANING TQOL Filed Feb. 13, 1931 surface.

Patented June 4, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

My invention relates to what I term an in and an out terminal cleaning tool which is adapted to clean either a cylindrical or a conical internal surface or a cylindrical or conical external The tool is especially adapted for cleaning storage battery terminals and their connectors in which it is desired to clean and to present a relatively smooth surface on the battery post to which is attached a connector with an electric cable lead from the battery. The batteries are usually made with a post having a slight taper forming a frustrum of a cone and the connectors, which are usually split, have an internal surface to correspond. My invention relates to a tool for cleansing both of these surfaces.

An object of my invention is the construction of acombination hand tool of a levering type having jaws at opposite ends, the jaws at one end being attached to the inside of the handle lever part of the tool and adapted to clean or smooth the outsidesurface of the battery terminal. The opposite end of the tool has extension arms on which are mounted on the outside the tool jaws for cleaning the inside of the connector.

A further object and feature of my invention; is a pivotal or swiveling mounting for the internal and external operating jaws, which jaws are made of a hard metal such as steel and have relatively sharp edges adapted to cut the surface of the lead battery posts and of the lead or brass battery connector, and by operating the handle levers the desired pressure may be exerted to give the desired smoothing out.

My invention is illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the tool as applied to a battery post;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tool with the section at the jaws partly broken away for a clear illustration;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the jaws of the outside finishing tool as applied to a .battery post;

Fig. 4 is a plan of a typical battery connector with the inside finishing jaws operating therein and shown in section.

.In constructing my tool I employ a pair of handle levers II and I2, these being secured togetherby a pivot pin l3. These jaws have a hollow portion M in which there is a compression spring wire l5, this wire being coiled on the pivot and under tension to press the handle levers outwardly. Each of these handle levers has an arm extension l6 beyond the pivot, these arms having a meeting face IT. The spring tends to cause these meeting faces to abut together. The outside surface l8 of the arms is preferably formed with a taper.

The jaws for the inside finishing of the battery connector are constructed substantially as follows and used in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4:

The end portions of the arm I6 have a lon- 10 gitudinal slot l9, and the curved jaws 20 have a web 2| which fits into these slots. Pivot rivets 22 extend through the fins across the slots and through the body portion of the arms and form a transverse pivot for the jaws 20. These jaws, it will be observed, form segments of a circle and have an abutment rim 23 at their inner ends, this being adapted to limit the insertion of the jaws in the opening which it is desired to smooth or ream.

The battery connector indicated generally at 24 has a split portion 25 and has an interior surface 26 which is intended to be of the same taper as that of the battery post hereinunder detailed. The jaws may be inserted in this opening until the abutment rims engage one side of these connectors. Then the handle levers may be pressed together until the jaws are brought out into the firm engagement with the interior surface of the connector. The tool may then be slightly rotated, the edges 21 of the curved jaws exerting a smoothing cutting or reaming action on this interior opening and thus producing a surface which will make a good electrical contact with the battery post. The web 2| is designed to have somewhat of a loose fit onxthe pivot rivets 22 and thus they may have a slight transverse oscillation as well as the longitudinal pivoting motion on the pivot 22 in relation to the extension arm I6.

The external shaving tool designated generally by the numeral 28 is formed, by having a pivot rivet 29 attached to the ends 30 of the handle levers Hand l2. Theserivets have a neck portion 3| and on such neck are mounted the somewhat circular jaws 32. These jaws may have no taper and'their edges 33 form a cutting edge. These jaws are free to rotate on the axis of the rivets 29 rotating on'the neck portion 3| and,linaddition, they have a loose fit on this neck which allows for a limited uni?- versal joint action. These jaws may be clamped around the battery terminal 34, which is illustrated as slightly tapered, forming a frustrum of a cone, and then, by pressing the hand levers together a sufficiently tight pivot may be obtained so that when the tool is rotated relative to the battery post a cutting or smoothing action is effected on the outside surface of the post or battery terminal.

With the aid of my tool I am enabled to give the battery post or terminal a smooth exterior surface and also give the connector on its interior surface a smooth finish so that when these two elements are placed together in making a battery connection there will be a large and tight fitting connection without rough places and thus effect a better electrical connection between the post or terminal of the battery and the connector. This fit may be so close as, to a great extent, to prevent the acids from working between the post or terminal and the connector and thus forming corrosion which prevents a good electrical circuit.

On account of the jaws 32 being without a taper, that is, each formed as a segment of a cylinder, it is immaterial which direction these face in operating on the exterior of a battery terminal or pole. These jaws for the outside cut may conveniently be employed to lift a battery by engaging one of the straps.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A terminal cleaning tool having a pair of hand levers pivotally connected together, a pivot rivet on the end of each lever and extending inwardly and each having a jaw swivelly mounted thereon to rotate on the axis of the rivet, each jaw being concave on its interior surface, and the jaws adapted to engage and smooth an exterior conical or cylindrical surface.

2. A terminal cleaning tool comprising a pair of hand levers pivotally connected together and having each a pivot rivet extending inwardly on the ends of each lever, each pivot rivet having a jaw swivelly mounted thereon to rotate on the axis of the rivet, each jaw being partly cylindrical, the jaws, in addition, having a slight oscillating movement on this pivot and adapted to engage a conical exterior surface and to smooth such surface.

3. A terminal cleaning tool comprising a pair of hand levers pivotally connected together and each having a pivot rivet extending inwardly on the end of each lever, each rivet having a reduced neck and a jaw swivelly mounted on such neck to rotate on the axis of the rivet and to swivel on the neck, said jaws being shaped to engage an exterior surface on pressing of said hand levers together and thereby trim such exterior surface.

4. A terminal cleaning tool as claimed in claim 3, each jaw being partly cylindrical with an interior concave curve adapted to trimthe exterior of cylindrical or conical surfaces.

5. A terminal cleaning tool having a pair of hand levers pivotally connected together and each having a pivot rivet extending inwardly somewhat toward each other on the ends of each lever, each rivet having a jaw swivelly mounted thereon to rotate on the axis of the pivot and loosely connected to the pivot to allow oscillation on the ends of the pivot, each jaw being partly cylindrical and having a concave inner surface with edges adapted to engage and trim exterior cylindrical or conical surfaces on pressing inwardly on said hand levers.

6. A terminal cleaning tool as claimed in claim 5, each hand lever having an extension adapted to be pressed outwardly of pressing inwardly of such lever, each extension having a slot, and an outside jaw with a web fitted in said slot and having each a transverse pivot, the outside jaws being loosely pivoted to allow tilting on their pivots and slight oscillation on such pivots, said outside jaws being convex and having marginal jaws adapted to ream an interior cylindrical or conical surface, and each jaw having an abutment rim to limit the movement in reaming.

7. A terminal cleaning tool comprising, in combination, a pair of hand levers pivotally connected together having extension arms, the inward movement of the lever forcing the extension arms outwardly, the outer ends of the hand levers each having a pivot rivet, said rivets extending toward each other and each rivet having a jaw loosely swivelled thereon to rotate on the axis of the rivet and to oscillate slightly on such rivet, each jaw being partly cylindrical with an interior concave surface, the extension arms each having a transverse pivot with an exterior jaw mounted thereon to oscillate on such pivot, each exterior jaw being convex and adapted on inward pressure of the hand levers tobe forced outwardly to ream an interior cylindrical or conical surface.

8. A terminal cleaning tool having a pair of arms adapted to be grasped by the. hand and to be pressed together, a jaw secured to each arm by a pivot, the said pivot permitting the jaw to rock in a plane longitudinally of the arm, each jaw being formed in an are considered transversely to the arm and having a pair of cutting edges at opposite ends of the arc.

9. A terminal cleaning tool having a pair of arms each with a jaw connected to its lower end, the arms being adapted for grasping in the hand to press the jaws toward each other, each jaw having a pivotal connection to its adjacent arm to permit tilting in a plane of the arc whereby the jaws may be accommodated to an upwardly tapered terminal post with the arms positioned above the said post, each jaw being curved to conform to the circular shape of a battery post and having two cutting edges.

10. A terminal post cleaner, comprising a pair of pivoted jaws adapted to be pressed together, and cleaning elements swivelled on the inner face of each jaw for engaging against the surface of a terminal post in various positions of swivelling of the jaws relative to said cleaning elements from the vertical to the horizontal.

11. A terminal post cleaner, comprising a pair of jaws adapted to'be pressed together, and cleaning elements pivotally mounted on each jaw for engaging against the surface of aterminal post in various positions of pivoting of the jaws relative to said cleaning elements, each of said cleaning elements including substantially parallel scraping edges for extending lengthwise of said terminal post.

IRVEN E. COFF'EY. 

